Rose Kissed Diamond
by Kaitlin Rose
Summary: Silver Millennium. Serenity sneaks out of the palace to experience life as a commoner, when she falls in love with two men! Who will win her heart? Diamond or Endymion?
1. Chapter 1

Kaitlin R. Welliver

**Rose Kissed Diamond**

_Chapter One_

She put on the last of her street clothes which entailed of a regular, low-cut cotton blouse, and a hip hugging skirt that stopped right above the knees. The color of her clothes was a faded pink, and she had light pink heels to match. Her hair was made different than its usual do, because how else was she to be under cover? Her sunshine blonde hair was down, with the ends tickling the small of her back, just below her waist belt, complete with a bow on the back.

The outfit said classy with a touch of casual – a lot more comfortable than her usual formal wear. As she thought of it, she sent a glare to the pile of clothes in the corner of the room; a long white gown complete with corset and undergarments.

The freedom that the common women achieve with the wire bra never ceased to amaze her. She padded her bosom with satisfaction.

She looked at herself in the mirror and batted her eyelashes, making sure she applied enough mascara. Her bright, cerulean eyes stared back at her, complete with modest eyeliner and the faintest eye shadow. She smiled and puckered her lips at her reflection as she finished with some lip gloss. She then misted herself with her favorite, expensive perfume – apple, imported from… She furrowed her brow. Imported from somewhere far away, anyway. It didn't bother her where her apple scent came from, she only cared that she had it and that it was her smell.

She looked at herself in the mirror and she realized that she had forgotten something – jewelry! Her mother forbade her to pierce her ears, so they were bare. However, lay along her vanity was her favorite silver bracelet. On the bracelet was a single charm of a rabbit jumping over a crescent moon. Although the bracelet was very cute, it was very expensive and intended to suit her perfectly. Adorned on the moon was a red rose pattern, and the rabbit's eye was a twinkling diamond. It was a present from her mother on her 18th birthday.

She was already running late and she knew her friends would probably be waiting for her, so with one last brush through her hair, she went outside on the balcony into the brisk, autumn air. It was just after sunset and a slight breeze reminded her to grab her long, black cloak. She tugged the hood over her bright hair, and glanced back at her room.

She grumbled at her forgetfulness as she ruffled the blankets on her bed really quick to make it look like she was under them and turned on her bunny night light that made the dark room a shade of pink after she turned out the main lights. Her room looked just like it always did before she went to bed.

Satisfied, she closed the balcony door behind her and hopped over the railing beside the outside wall of the palace. Her room overlooked the palace gardens which were sprinkled with twenty-four hour fountains. It was a spectacular view to say the least. As the palace was built on higher ground than the surrounding areas, the horizon held distant lands.

She could see past the gardens with an occasional night guard walking the beautiful, flowered paths, and the fountains that were reflecting the star-filled sky, and past the palace grounds gate, and onto the sky-line of the local village beside the enormous Sea of Serenity.

She was headed to the docks of the Sea of Serenity this very evening to meet her friends. They did this excursion on each of their birthdays since she was 16 years old. She was 18 now, so thus it was tradition.

Beside her balcony, ivy climbed its way up the walls to her second-story bedroom. It had been growing long enough that it was more of a tree-vine than anything else.

She put the toes of her heels into the familiar foot holes she knew would hold her weight and eased her way down. She could recall the first couple tries she attempted this same thing… Of course, then it involved a couple pairs of ruined shoes and more than enough rips in the few plainclothes she owned. She knew now of the methods of sneaking out to her greatest advantage. She also knew who was on guard duty and what their routes throughout the gardens were.

She used her expertise to evade the guards with nothing other than a, "Did you hear something…?" Shaking his head as if he was crazy, the guard continued on without a second glance in the cloaked girl's direction.

For the last part of sneaking out, the girl always depended on serendipity, luck, and improvisation. It appeared that this particular night, to get through the palace grounds gate, she needed a diversion. Behind the brush, shielded by the darkness, she observed her surroundings. The two guardsmen stood at the gate gazing into the night. Towards the palace, she noticed a horse-drawn cart coming towards the gate. There was just a single figure manning the cart, and she knew this would be the perfect opportunity she would get tonight.

She was perfectly between the cart and the gate, and used the opportunity well. She threw a stone at the horse's feet and as it whinnied, she jumped into the cart and covered herself with the tarp that went over the cargo. The tarp was very scratchy and smelt of mold, and the girl made a point to cover her nose. She found herself in between wooden crates and was very uncomfortable.

She heard the guards pass clearance, and as the cart bumped along the road outside the palace grounds, she couldn't help but let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. She was free! And soon she'd be among friends. She smiled, satisfied with herself.

Then suddenly, the cart stopped abruptly and heard the sound of the person's feet hitting the ground as he came towards the back of the cart, as he came towards to her. She thought quickly and decided it'd be wisest to get out now and try her odds at getting to town on foot. After all, it was only a 15 minute walk.

Just as she was about to dash into the shadows along the road, strong arms enveloped her from behind and held her arms down to her sides. "Explain yourself," a confident male voice said into her ear, just loud enough for her to hear. His body was larger than hers by a lot, and stronger too. His hold on her body lit a panic inside her.

"Please don't hurt me," she whimpered, her voice small. This was the first time she had gotten caught!

"Who are you and why were you in the Royal Cargo? Release what you have stolen immediately, or else face the wrath of the Court." His grip on her tightened, and it was beginning to hurt.

"Please, you're hurting me." He stayed still. Her hands searched for anything she could find clasped at her sides. The only thing her fingers found was her charm, the cute bunny jumping over the moon. "My name is- Bunny," she said, thinking as quickly as possible. If she told him the truth, she'd never leave the palace again alive; her mother would see to it.

"I didn't steal anything, I swear. I was just-," He let go of her, and she let out the air she was holding. "I was just delivering a message to the princess." She turned around to face him. "Please, you have to believe me." He patted her down her sides and felt for pockets, and upon finding nothing hidden, he stood to face her.

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at him. He was taller than her by maybe seven inches and had dark violet eyes in contrast to his perfectly white skin. He was as strong looking as he felt with broad shoulders, that were being lightly tickled by his hair – his platinum hair. His hair came down just below his ears. He was beautiful in a way only a man can be.

As soon as he made eye contact with her, his eyes widened and he took a step back, clearly turning off the offense. Heart beating like a trapped thing, she quickly grabbed the hood of her cloak and tugged it down over her face. _Stupid_, she thought, _stupid, stupid. What if he knows!_

"I'm sorry to have frightened you… Bunny, was it?" his voice, suddenly gentle, said. "But I'm afraid I cannot allow you to illegally smuggle through the palace guards on my cart. I must take you back, even—"

"—No! No, you can't!" She scrambled for words. "Um, if you do, it will be ruined! Yes! The message is a secret message regarding a surprise the princess has for the queen next month! If you take me back there, it will ruin everything! The princess would never forgive you!" Bunny realized she was rambling and quickly shut her mouth. "Now, I'm sorry for using you like that, but I really must be on my way." Bunny felt her usual confidence seep back into her being as she straightened the front of her cloak. She turned towards town holding her hood close to her face.

"Wait, I'm not sure if all you're telling me is true, but I can't let a lady, even if she's hiding in carts at night, walk all the way to town in shoes like those." Bunny turned towards the taller, silver-haired man who had amusement in his violet eyes and then looked down at her footwear. Indeed, below the rim of her cloak, her light pink high heel shoes were clearly visible in the early evening starlight.

"Bunny, right?" He offered his right hand for her to take, the violent tension magically evaporated with the gentle smile on his face. "It's the least I can do to make up for scaring you tonight."

Bunny looked at his hand. Her feet were already starting to hurt as it was, and the walk would make her later than what she already was.

She took his hand, "Alright, but as long as you don't try anything." She mentally kicked herself. She had heard her mother talking about the politics between the Kingdoms lately, and knew that it wasn't safe to be about these days. She vowed to herself the next time she'd go out, she'd adorned a weapon of some kind.

The tall man lead her to the front of the cart just behind the horse and they sat next to each other as he held the reins and started the horse in motion.

As the gravel crunched under the wheels and the horse walked peacefully down the road, Bunny felt a bit nervous to be with him. He couldn't have been more than five years her senior and she didn't get out enough to really spend enough time with the opposite sex.

Sure, she's been sneaking out for about 2 years, but the first year and a half was just to her friend's hide-out. It sounds lame, but none of her friends got out much either; they really didn't have any ideas as to where to go until tonight, that is. Mina, one of her friends, said that she knew a good place to go, and that there were handsome men there. One must start somewhere.

"I'm Diamond," the man said looking over at her, interrupting her thoughts. "I make deliveries between the Kingdoms." When he said 'the Kingdoms', Bunny knew what he meant. Although there were ten kingdoms she knew of, Diamond was referring to the one other kingdom that had the closest relationship to hers. The relationship that was currently under a lot of political debate at the moment.

Sensing her uneasiness, he continued, "So… Secret message to the Princess Serenity, that's enticing." She flinched when he used her real name. "How did you manage to—"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that with you," she cut him off, glancing at him nervously. Her heart was beating too loud! Was she too obvious?

He sighed trying to make eye contact with her. "Listen. I'm really sorry about back there. You really shouldn't sneak into other people's carts…"

Bunny looked at him and felt bad for making him try so hard. After all, he did help her out a lot and he didn't turn her in. That had to be worth something. But she couldn't risk anything, not if he had business relations with the royal family – her family.

"Drop me off here, please," she said again avoiding his eyes, his deep violet eyes. He stopped the horse and jumped off his side fast to get to her side to help her off.

He offered his hand and out of habit more than anything else, she accepted his help. His hand was soft and warm. "Thank you," she said softly, her stomach turning upside down. She wasn't sure if it was from the adrenaline, or the feel of her hand in his.

"My pleasure," he said, helping her down. She was naturally taking her hand back when he didn't let go.

Startled, she looked at him. He simply laid a kiss along her knuckles, causing an intake of breath from the young girl and a slight case of goose bumps.

"I hope to meet you again, Mysterious Bunny."

Bunny dropped her gaze, turned, and walked quickly down a street in the calm evening; the only light from the stars above and the lights from insides the building illuminating her path.

Her dark silhouette disappeared long before Diamond stopped looking in her direction.

"Or shall I say, Princess Serenity."

He breathed in a lungful of the autumn air and as he let it out, he replayed the look on her face as they first made eye contact – the blush on her cheeks, her bright blue eyes, her soft bright hair framing her face from underneath her disguise.

Diamond never believed in love at first sight. No, not until tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

Kaitlin R. Welliver

**Rose Kissed Diamond**

_Chapter Two_

Bunny made it to the docks without any more trouble only to be faced with the impatient faces of her friends.

She had four other friends, to be exact. And they all shared one thing in common – they all came from very protective households. They had all similar cloaks on that served the multi-purpose of warmth from the brisk October weather and concealment.

Raye was the most impatient of her friends. She was quick to temper and not afraid of letting the world know. Regardless of her fiery attitude, she was an Asian beauty. Her angry almond eyes were dark and endless, not unlike her hair; beautiful and straight down to the small of her back. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her healthy cheeks were slightly pinked from frustration and slightly from her make-up. She was wearing more make-up than usual, but so was everyone else tonight. The eyeliner around her eyelashes made her eyes seem even deeper than they usually appeared.

Her outfit for tonight's festivities had her wearing a red halter top dress that fit her every curve until the hips where it would fan out if she were to spin. When she moved, Bunny could see that the dress sparkled in the starlight. Raye was complete with long earrings and simple, red high heels.

"Raye, you look great!" Bunny said only getting a glimpse through Raye's cloak.

"Don't think compliments will save you tonight, Sere," she said, trying not to smile as she looked down at her attire happily. Bunny looked from Raye to the rest of her friends.

"Sorry for being late, everyone…" Bunny said.

"We were worried about you," said Amy from beside Lita. They were all standing beside the dockyard overlooking the ships. They were safely out of danger of being discovered, so the hoods were abandoned. Even though, Amy stayed close to the shadows. She was very nervous as it was for sneaking out, let alone going out in public. She most certainly did not want to be in any sort of trouble when she returned home.

Amy had soft, blue eyes set in a delicate face surrounded by dark hair, that when touched by the light in a particular way, would gleam with a tint of blue. Tonight she wore a barrette keeping some of her short hair to the side and it curled behind her small ear.

She was shorter than the other girls; perhaps the same height as Bunny, and her frame was the most petite. The outfit she had on was much more modest than Raye's. She had a pale blue blouse on that went up to the collar bone and had long sleeves down her arms. She had a small necklace with her family's symbol and small matching earrings. She wore a skirt that was practical and presentable, down to her knees, where just below, she wore boots that had very practical two-inch heels. Dressed up, but not giving away too much.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Amy. I got caught up," Bunny said touching Amy's arm apologetically. Amy's eyes softened.

"You got caught, you mean?" Lita looked worried, in a down-to-business sort of way.

"Not exactly," Bunny said turning to Lita.

Lita was quite tall for a woman, and quite built – in a lean, swimmer way. Actually, Lita was very good at everything athletic and very graceful. Before too long, the Sea of Serenity would freeze over near the palace, and during this time, Lita would accompany Bunny on the ice-rink. Although Bunny is gifted herself on the rink, she couldn't help but feel that Lita's skills would always surpass that of her own.

Lita's eyes were always full of energy – electric, contagious energy. Whenever she was enthusiastic about something, it was as if it was a fever and one couldn't help but catch it too. In that way, Lita was very addictive.

Right this moment, her bright, forest green eyes were searching Bunny's and their surroundings. Also, Lita was very talented at martial arts. Bunny had never seen a match of which Lita wasn't the victor, even among men.

"I kind of got caught just outside the palace grounds," Bunny continued, turning away avoiding eye contact, "by this really handsome man."

Raye had calmed down and was eagerly looking at her. "Handsome?"

"I told him my name was Bunny, and I think he believed me." Bunny giggled to herself.

Lita relaxed and pulled down the hem of her shorter dress. She was wearing an emerald green dress that went all the way down to her mid thigh, exposing her long legs with matching high heel booties to top it off. Bunny had seen the dress before and didn't need to remove the cloak to know that her shoulders were bare. Lita's long auburn hair was drawn back in a pink ribbon and falling in curls around her shoulders.

Mina linked her arm through Raye's and continued Raye's thought, eyes glittering. "Handsome?"

"Yes," Bunny said, eyes showing the same enthusiasm. "He said his name was Diamond." She thought for a moment. "What kind of a man is named 'Diamond'?"

"I'm not sure, Sere, but I sure would like to find out!" Mina, of all of Bunny's friends, was the most experienced with the opposite gender. She wasn't afraid to let a man know she was interested, and she wasn't concerned with breaking hearts.

Mina's birthday was the cause for the celebration tonight – October 22nd. She was turning 19 years old, and thus surpassing them all by a year. Older and wiser, so they say.

Mina was wearing a low, V-cut shoulder-less dress that was a glittery gold. Her hair, usually down and drawn back from her face was in curls flowing all around her in a golden blanket. She spend a lot of time getting ready for tonight, Bunny noticed.

Mina's brilliant smile reached her light blue eyes, and grabbed Bunny's hand saying," I want to hear all of your details of your evening, but first let's get on the Arc, we're losing time!"

Mina had organized her perfect birthday party and so far had kept it a secret from the rest of the girls. They could tell she was up to something different than usual, but Mina had only told them of the rendezvous.

"Wait," Bunny said nervously. "Arc?" She glanced at the only large ship in the bay. "The Arc is the only ship that travels from my kingdom to…"

Mina laughed light-heartedly. "That's right, girls. I got us a ride to the Earth Kingdom. Come on!" Still holding onto Bunny's hand, started off towards the loading dock, where a light number of people were beginning to board.

Bunny swallowed the lump that formed in her throat as the other girls looked at each other and followed Mina reluctantly.

They were just about to disembark from the Moon Kingdom and were about to, Bunny assumed, illegally enter the Earth Kingdom. All of the girls were, in fact, from all separate kingdoms. Peace had graced the current times, and traveling between kingdoms was frequent and even easy. However, for the past few years, political changes were afoot in the Earth Kingdom, and border control had become stricter. They had never been to Earth casually before, and Bunny supposed there was a first for everything.

Somehow, Mina had managed to get them all a ride to Earth and none of them could believe it as they handed their tickets Mina had pulled from her cloak to the ticket collector of the Arc.

They settled themselves comfortably in their seats. Bunny was sat next to the window that showed the beautiful night sky with the Earth beaming down at her with Raye on the other side of her. There was a table and seats faced her on the other side where Mina, Lita, and Amy sat.

The girls had made the last shuttle that night to the Earth Kingdom and wouldn't be able to return until the following morning. The few people that were also onboard were adjusting themselves to get some sleep, and Bunny realized that she'd never ridden in a vessel with commoners before. It was a new experience, and it surprised her how close strangers would come to each other.

Apparently, Mina had done the same excursion before. She said it was to meet a man she fell for when he was visiting the Venus Kingdom for business. Mina wouldn't say what business, his name, or how she met him. But it was apparent that when Mina was busy withholding information, she was very happy to be thinking about him.

Raye had asked Mina what was so different about this man than any of the other men she had dated before and Mina just looked out into the star-filled sky thoughtfully, "He's just… different." She wouldn't budge another inch on the subject, so the girls were forced to move on to something different.

With their love lives so vacant compared to the Venusian princess, the girls turned their attention to the Lunarian princess.

"How old do you think Diamond is?"

"What did he look like?"

"Was he scary? Were you scared?"

Bunny felt her face get warm thinking about her first dangerous encounter outside the palace barriers.

"He appeared to be not much older than we are, and he was really handsome," Bunny smiled in remembrance. "He had silver hair and deep violet eyes and he was very tall! He even kissed my hand."

The girls giggled and looked at her with envy.

"But," Bunny said furrowing her brow, "I don't believe I ever felt so vulnerable. When he grabbed me at first, I was very scared. But when we saw each other's faces, he became very gentle and nice."

"Do you think he recognized you?" Amy asked, fear in her voice.

"No, I don't believe so," Bunny said thoughtfully. "He never asked, anyways."

"Don't be daft, Sere," scolded Raye. "Just because he didn't ask you doesn't mean he didn't recognize you."

"Yeah, Serenity," Lita added, worry on her face. "You don't know what a commoner would do to you if they knew who you were and that you were unprotected." She shuddered at the thought.

Bunny felt her defenses go up, "Look, he didn't recognize me, alright?" She felt fear begin to seep into her core. "He believed my name was Bunny. Besides," she added, "He was really kind to me after all. He didn't hurt me when he could have, and he didn't turn me in to the guards when he could have, but he didn't." Bunny crossed her arms over her chest and looked at her reflection into the window. She didn't want them to see her face because she was afraid they'd see that she wasn't trying to convince them as much as herself.

Mina shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I think Serenity is right." Bunny looked at her from the window, defenses falling. The others looked at her as well.

"What?" Mina said defiantly. "I do. He didn't hurt her, so let's be thankful for that and have a lot of fun tonight together! We haven't had a night out since Amy's birthday and that was over a month ago."

The girls smiled and Lita nudged Amy's side. "Let's hope tonight is gentler on my ego! I don't think I've ever lost so many chess games before in my life." Raye stifled a giggle as Amy blushed, suddenly fascinated with her hands that were in her lap.

"Speaking of last time," Raye said as she readjusted her seating so she was sitting on her shoeless feet, heels abandoned under the table. "What exactly are we doing this time?" Everyone's eyes fell on Mina's face once again, curiosity apparent.

Mina nervously looked at everyone and just as she opened her mouth to speak, a large voice filled the Arc stating that they had just arrived in the capital city of the Earthen Kingdom. Smiling at the interruption, Mina stood up snuggling into her cloak, neglecting the hood. "Well, girls, looks like we're here!" she said cheerfully, getting up quickly already headed for the exit.

The rest of them shot each other a rather nervous glance and followed Mina's lead.


	3. Chapter 3

Kaitlin R. Welliver

**Rose Kissed Diamond**

_Chapter Three_

When Bunny stepped off the Arc, she was surprised at the fresh air of the Earthen atmosphere; she could smell the salt from the ocean and could taste the dirt from the busy street. It was different than home, but in a more sensual way. There were more minerals found on Earth than on the Moon.

The street! It was so alive and yet it was so late in the day! The night culture of the Moon Kingdom was never so publically active! This place she just stepped foot on made Bunny feel like her luxurious home was out-dated and country side.

She had been to Earth before, but only for formal, political reasons, and those times her security prevented her from seeing anything of great interest or meeting anyone particularly interesting. Her view of the Earthen capital was that it was the center of fashion and where music and art flourished. It was so full of new technology and new ways of living. It so differed from the conservative lifestyle of the Lunarians.

Bunny snapped back into the moment and noticed that Amy, Raye, and Lita had expressions on their faces that reflected her own initial reaction. Mina, with her hands on her hips looked pleased with herself. Apparently, Earth turned out to be different than all of their homes.

"Alright," Mina said excitedly. "The man you're all so curious to know more about is just over there, waiting for us." She directed her gaze towards the other side of the street away from the shore line near the corner of the block where the buildings ended and a park began. Beside the high, beautiful gates stood a man with his arms folded across his chest watching the passer-bys absentmindedly. It was hard to see clearly in the night, but the street lamps illuminated his figure.

Mina touched her curled hair, searching for something wrong with her appearance. "Do I look alright, do you think?"

Bunny answered for them all, "You look gorgeous, now let's go." Mina flashed a brilliant smile and started off in the park's entrance's direction.

Closing the distance between themselves and Mina's love interest, Bunny got a better look at him. He still hadn't noticed their arrival and was looking in the opposite direction than where they were coming from, his platinum, long hair falling into half of his face.

His eyes were very light blue, though mostly grey. They held an intelligence that was beyond that of his young-looking face. He looked to not be more than two or three years their senior.

His attire was also classy-casual – white collared shirt with the top buttons left unbuttoned with a long, through form fitting, black blazer on over. The blazer had small, detailed embroidery on it near the buttons down the front, along the collar, and near his cuffs.

He had tight dark pants with polished black boots. He looked incredibly handsome and better dressed than Diamond had been, Bunny noted. Bunny had not gotten a good look at Diamond's attire earlier that evening, but she recalled that he had not been dressed for a social excursion.

He turned towards them as they approached and his steely gaze melted as he saw Mina. He held out his hand for her to take. "My lady." His voice was like dark chocolate.

Happily, Mina slipped her hand into his. "Good evening, Kunzite," she replied just as formal. "It has been a fortnight, I believe."

"It has been far too long," he said kissing her hand, leaning down to do so. Bunny was beside herself. How had this man managed to tame her wild and danger-loving friend? Bunny looked at Raye, Amy, and Lita for some sort of answer, but they looked just as clueless as she.

Standing up straight, he changed his attention to the open-mouthed girls. "I have been rude and for that I apologize. My name is Kunzite, and I will be accompanying you this evening." Kunzite was very lean and very tall. He held authority in his stance and a grace with his language.

Mina was very pleased with her friends' faces and spoke, voice chipper. "Kunzite, these are my friends, Amy, Raye, Lita, and Sere—"

"Bunny!" Bunny chimed in nervously. "I'm Bunny." Mina shot her a strange glance.

"And that's Bunny," she finished, playing along. Bunny didn't know what made her do that but somehow it just felt like the right thing to do. She'd come up with a good reason later.

Kunzite gave a small bow. "It's a pleasure." Lita's face turned as pink as the ribbon in her hair. "Shall we, my birthday princess?" Kunzite held his arm for Mina to take, that she accepted gracefully, beaming at him as she did. His eyes smiled down at her in return and they turned down the street with the girls, mouths open and slightly jealous, to follow. An interesting night so far, indeed.

Kunzite had lead them to a small ballroom in a beautiful, although modest, building in the center of town. Inside the ballroom was live music playing and there were people – commoners – every way Bunny looked. There were people talking at small, candlelit tables, people standing and talking along the walls and in the dark corners. There, on the dance floor, people were dancing. And to Bunny's surprise, the people were, she believed the term was, free-style dancing. Of course, she had only heard of such a style. It was where people danced with no structure, but they had a rhythm that Bunny found almost seductive. The lights were only coming from behind the service counter where drinks were being served, and slightly flashing on the ballroom dance floor.

The atmosphere was so… Bunny tasted for the right word… casual. The music was playing but people were talking and the catering service was still serving drinks. The hum of the voices mixed with the sound of the musicians playing made it harder for her to hear the people next to her. Bunny jumped out of her thoughts as Amy touched her arm and leaned into her ear.

"It's so loud," she stated uncomfortably. Bunny nodded in reply and looked at how her friends reacted to the place.

Raye was looking uncharacteristically self-conscious with her eyes on the curvy women dancing with their partners. Lita was in awe with her mouth open and eyes sparkling at the same sight. Amy was glued to Bunny's side as if for protection. Bunny made eye contact with Mina then, Mina's face ecstatic with our reaction to their new experience.

"Isn't it great!?" Mina yelled over the noise. She still had her arm in Kunzite's, who was looking out across the room, as if searching for something or someone. He looked down at Mina and said something into her ear Bunny couldn't hear. Mina smiled and motioned us to come as Kunzite lead the way though the people and tables, going around the dance floor. He stepped up on a platform where more private tables and booths were located. He lead them even further in the back corner where a private booth awaited them with a single man sitting there taking a sip of white wine, watching them approach.

The man's eyes were very dark in the dim candlelight from the center of the table in contrast to his ash blonde, wavy hair that was pulled back into a band behind his neck, so the length of his hair was in question. His face was more delicate than Kunzite's with softer features. His shoulders weren't as broad either. His expression softened when they arrived and he stood up offering Kunzite a hand to shake.

"Kunzite, how are you this evening? I see you brought guests." He offered a smiling hello to the girls, all of them blushing when he did so. Kunzite took his hand and shook it.

"Zoicite, how good to see you." Kunzite pulled Mina forward and took a step back so the other girls were more visible. "May I introduce my lovely Mina, whom, may I confess, has a birthday to celebrate this evening." Mina smiled up at him, adoration apparent on her face.

Zoicite smiled and nodded at her, "Happy birthday."

"Thank you," she beamed at him.

"And these are her friends, Lita, Raye, and Bunny." Kunzite them all out. "And this is my long time friend, Zoicite." Like Kunzite had done before, Zoicite slightly bowed. "At your service, my ladies." Zoicite's voice was soft and charming. He motioned towards the squishy maroon seating around the table. "Please sit down."

Time had passed rather slowly for Bunny. For Mina, Raye, and Lita, it seemed to be the best moment of their lives, because they hadn't stopped smiling and giggling all night. Kunzite and Zoicite both proved to be very charming and funny and had Bunny's friends talking about their likes and dislikes naturally. Bunny never felt the pull of the conversation and although Kunzite and Zoicite were gentle on the eyes, well dressed, well educated, and had excellent socializing skills, they seemed to be like boring politicians Bunny's mother works with to-be. She glanced over at Amy because it had been a while since Bunny had heard her voice.

Expecting her face to assimilate that of her own, she was surprised to see Amy's face a deep pink hue as she stared down into her beverage, spinning the ice cubes within with her stir utensil, almost, dare Bunny think, embarrassedly. There was no apparent reason as to why, and Amy wouldn't meet her eye so she could figure out.

Bunny sighed and excused herself from the table using the excuse that she needed to use the restroom. She did, in fact, go to the restroom, but only to look at her reflection in the mirror. She just needed an escape.

Her puzzled gaze met her own. She was already escaping from her life at the Moon Palace, why here too? She felt, she realized, a certain loneliness that couldn't be cured by her friends, although they were a great distraction.

Just then, two laughing girls came into the restroom. One was headed for the toilet, while the other one went to the mirror next to Bunny, staring intensely at her eyeliner, smudging an imperfection with her pinky.

"You know, Kelly, you're right! I feel so much better now. The _Tarantula_ didn't taste so bad either!" said the girl from inside the toilet, her voice echoing in the small room.

The girl next to Bunny laughed, backing up to look at how her dress swayed as she moved, and looking at her backside as she did. "Of course you feel better! Alcohol always makes things better!"

The toilet flushed and the door opened. "Was it my imagination, or was Andrew flirting with me?" The other girl suppressed a giggle as she put her hands under the running water of the sink.

Kelly gave her a sarcastic look. "Oh please, Claudia, he's been literally drooling over you all night. Let's go."

Claudia gave Kelly an equivalent look back, "Gross… Hey, nice dress."

Bunny realized the pretty commoner was talking to her. She flushed pink and said, "Oh, thank you." Inside Bunny was thinking, _The commoner talked to me like a commoner! How exciting!_

"Oh, a Lunarian!" Kelly looked surprised. "Cool accent. Well, see you!" They left Bunny alone in the restroom.

With her new inspiration, Bunny smoothed the dress on her flat stomach and ran her fingers through her hair. Alcohol, hm? Kunzite had offered, but the girl had refused politely. Alcohol was associated to their daily meetings. Of course, Bunny had only drank wine at dinner parties and events only after her sixteenth birthday.

She walked out of the women's toilet, headed in the direction of the catering counter. She found a small opening along the counter and fit herself in.

She tried making eye contact with the server, but he was busy talking with another patron. When he was finished, Bunny said, "Excuse me."

"Hold on, Darling." He started making a drink. He finished and handed the drink to the patron. "I would like—" Bunny tried again.

"What can I get you?" the man behind the counter said to a completely different person than Bunny, ignoring her existence.

Bunny was not used to being ignored. Bunny did not like being ignored. No one treated her this way and got away with it!

Indignation filled her core and she sucked in a deep breath. "Listen here, Little Man," power pouring out of her mouth. "I want a _Tarantula_, and you're going to make it right now. Do you understand?"

The tender looked at her from where he was talking with the other person and raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"What the lady _means_ to say is, please make her a _Tarantula_, if you don't mind," a deep voice said behind Bunny.

The man behind the counter looked at the mysterious fellow and his body relaxed. "Whatever you say."

Bunny turned around to see her savior.

"He doesn't respond well to women. Not all parts of the kingdom are up-to-date with the current times, you know." When Bunny turned around, she was looking only at a white collared shirt that was unbuttoned at the neck and one more down where a well sculpted, smooth, tan chest peeked through. His shoulders were broad and his neck had a leather necklace around it, accenting the masculine lines in his neck.

Bunny swallowed, daring her eyes ever upwards. His lips were full and moving; a slight smile on his mouth. His jaw line was well defined and his dark, Bunny wasn't sure how dark in the dim lighting, hung short, slightly curled behind his ears. When she met his dark blue eyes, set in a beautiful frame of lashes, she saw for the first time that he was trying to talk to her and she hadn't heard a word he had said.

"You haven't heard a word I just said, have you?" he said, a crooked smile playing on his lips, as he read her thoughts.

"I'm sorry," she stammered. "Thank you for helping me. I'm not used to being treated that way."

As if by queue, the man behind the counter placed a light brown, dark yellow carbonated drink on the counter in her line of sight. "That will be 700 gold, Darling." He used the word 'Darling' as if it were every woman's name. Bunny turned, her eyes puzzled, "What?"

The tender rolled his eyes, glanced at Bunny's new acquaintance, and put his weight on the other foot. "Money," he stated, as if it explained everything.

Bunny panicked. She didn't have any Earthen money and she didn't even carry Lunarian money with her. She never needed to. "I don't have any."

"No money, no service," the tender said, anger finally succeeding over his composure. He pulled the drink back towards him.

The dark haired man, now beside Bunny, placed three coins on the table. "Calm down, Leonard," he said. Leonard seemed to calm down, took the money and went to serve someone else. Bunny let out the breath she was holding.

"How many times do I have to save you tonight?" he asked, leaning on the counter, exposing more through his shirt. He was smiling down at her. He had a really nice dimple in his right cheek. Bunny blushed at her thoughts and focused on her new drink. "Thank you," she said.

"Cheers." He held up his own glass of a darker brown liquid. She smiled and their glasses met. The man took a big gulp, completely finishing his beverage off, and Bunny tried to take a large drink as well. However, as she swallowed, she couldn't help her face as it squeezed all up in disgust. She gasped for air, and shook her head quickly, trying to make the taste in her mouth go away. "I thought this stuff was supposed to be delicious."

The handsome man looked at her for a second to see if she was serious, then exploded in laughter. Bunny looked back up at him, anger seeping back in. "What is so funny?"

"I understand it's your first time drinking alcohol, huh, Girly." Amusement was plain on his face.

Bunny hated to be seen as young and stupid. And she hated being called _Girly_. "How dare you! I'm eighteen years old, and of course I've had alcohol before! And don't call me Girly."

His full grin shrunk into a crooked smile. "You might be eighteen years old, but you took that sip like a preteen."

Bunny's mouth dropped in complete disbelief. "I have never met anyone so rude before in my entire life!" Her face was deep pink with fury. Her hand was up in a slap position before she had a second thought, and just as instantly, his hand was in hers, both elevated.

With a cocky expression, he brought her in with amazing strength so her body was up against his firm one. He made it look effortless. His face bent down so it was inches away from hers. Bunny could smell his aftershave and the remains of his dark cologne. The firmness of his body against her made her try to focus on something else. She focused on the perfection of his face and looked into his eyes, slightly hidden behind the ends of his hair.

Bunny's heart sped up, and her mouth went dry when places below her stomach tightened.

"Has anyone told you that you're gorgeous when you're angry?" And then he kissed her. His full lips were as soft and sweet as they looked.

She slapped him with her free hand and left the _Tarantula_ on the counter as she stormed her way back to her friends, barely understanding what in the world had just happened, only that a gorgeous man had invaded her bubble and made fun of her _and_ took her first kiss! Not to mention the way he made her feel.

As she approached the booth, she saw from a distance under the table that Amy and Zoicite were holding hands. So that was why Amy was so embarrassed before. Bunny supposed that her mysterious man wasn't the only one who moved in fast.

Remembering him again, she felt her face warm up with embarrassment and anger.

Mina was the first to notice Bunny's return, just as she was in hearing distance. "Oh my goodness, Ser-Bunny, what's wrong?"

Everyone at the table looked at her surprised and worried. Lita made a move to stand up. "Who hurt you and where are they?" she asked powerfully.

Bunny managed to collect herself. "I'm alright, please sit, Lita." Lita sat back down reluctantly.

"What happened?" asked Raye, rather nicely. "Sit down, Bunny, please."

Bunny sighed and sat down next to her Martian friend. "I just met this horrible man and he—"

"Endymion! How nice of you to join us!" exclaimed Kunzite standing up to greet someone from behind Bunny. "I'm sorry for interrupting you, Bunny," he added apologetically.

"You're late," said Zoicite, smiling up at the new guest.

"I just had to return this young lady's drink she left at the bar," said an all too familiar deep, dark voice.

Bunny's stomach dropped to her feet as she slowly turned in her seat to have her worst nightmares confirmed.

There stood the most handsome man Bunny had ever seen, the first man to ever kiss her, and the last person she ever wanted to see smiling smugly down at her; the god forsaken _Tarantula_ sadly sweating in his strong hand.

Bunny wanted to scream, and to her horror, she thought she just might have done so.


	4. Chapter 4

Kaitlin R. Welliver

**Rose Kissed Diamond**

_Chapter Four_

Bunny was lying on her bed on her belly, legs kicking up in the air happily. She was using her telecommunicator with Amy in Mercury at the moment about a week after Mina's unfortunate birthday party.

"So he's contacted you already?" Bunny asked, tracing her finger along the embroidery of her pillowcase.

"Yes, oh Serenity, I'm not like you or Mina. I don't know how to act around men!" Amy exclaimed. "What do I do?"

Bunny flopped over on her back and clutched her stuffed rabbit to her chest, telecommunicator lying next to her head. "Well, first of all," Bunny said, "I'm not sure how to act around men most of the time either. But," she thought for a second, "I'd just play it cool… It's not like you're going to see him any time soon."

"But he wants to meet this weekend!"

"What?" Bunny sat up, rabbit stuffed animal falling off to the side. "What do you mean this weekend? Where?"

Amy hesitated. "On Earth."

"Amy, you can't go to Earth alone to meet some strange man! Why doesn't he come to Mercury?"

"See, that's the thing, Serenity. He doesn't know I'm the princess… And," she sucked in a breath, "I was kind of hoping that I wasn't going to go alone…"

Bunny plopped back down on her back, soft pillows bouncing in the air briefly. "You want me to go with you." It wasn't a question.

"You're the closest one to Earth and I can tell my parents that I'm staying at your place. Please, Serenity, just for a day."

"Alright, alright. But only because I believe in love!"

The girls giggled together and started planning their journey to the Earth once again. Amy would come to the Moon, she'd greet her Excellency the queen formally as she should, and then the weekend would be theirs. They could go to Earth formally, by greeting the King and Queen as such or go in under cover like they had done before.

Amy wondered if it would just be easier to do everything formally, however, Bunny insisted that it was too much work.

Bunny slipped on her corset and her second closest thing she had to common clothes she had. It was a light silk dress that went down to her ankles. It was white with long sleeves for the cooling weather and the neckline comfortably rested just below her collarbones.

There was a little embroidery along the neckline and sleeves, but it was simply the best she could do.

Bunny wore her signature bracelet and looked at herself in the mirror, surprised at herself that she was sneaking to Earth again! Well, to be honest, it really wasn't too difficult. Without her hair up in the royal fashion, and an entourage of bodyguards and extra formal clothing, the commoners seemed to find Bunny not at all that suspicious.

Her long, beautiful, golden hair waved gracefully down to the small of her back. Applying some last minute lip gloss and smacking her lips, Bunny pulled over her autumn jacket that protected not only her from the cold, but also her dress from being torn or soiled.

Bunny took the normal way out of the palace this time because her mother was busy doing queenly matters and Bunny was only planning on being gone for a few hours. How long could a first date be?

Bunny met Amy outside the place gates not far from the Arc's shipyard, where they had met just 2 weeks prior.

It was a beautiful early November day with the cool sun shining high in the sky. A slight breeze played with Bunny's dress and coat and fanned her hair out just a little. Amy looked adorable, in Bunny's opinion. Her short, darker hair curled just under her ears where sapphire studs glittered happily. She had soft make up on, thought, Bunny felt the pink in Amy's cheeks were caused by natural reasons. Amy was wearing a long, blue cotton dress that hugged her slender torso and fanned out at the hips. Below, she wore fine leather lace up boots that went up to her knee caps. She also had an autumn coat on, with a white, silk scarf.

"You look beautiful," Bunny said embracing her friend.

"Are you sure it's not too casual?" she asked, a little insecurely. "It's just, he doesn't know I'm a princess, so I didn't want to dress too formally, but I don't want to dress too casually, in case he thinks I didn't find the meeting to be all that important." Amy was looking at her hands that were sheltered from the cold behind pretty silk, white gloves.

"You look perfect," Bunny said reassuringly. "You're just over-thinking things as per usual. Come on, let's see what Zoicite has in store."

After getting off the Arc, and stepping on the Earthen soil, Bunny and Amy made their way to the rendezvous where Zoicite said he'd meet them.

Zoicite was wearing his working uniform, which showed his high rank among the Earthen military. Needless to say, it appeared that he was ranked rather high. His ash blonde hair waved down his back with a few tendrils framing his face. One would think such a feminine hair style would make him look as such, but his strong jaw line and square shoulders made his masculinity appear graceful. There was evidence that he could be strict and brutal with the way he held himself, but today there was only soft kindness behind his green eyes as Amy and Bunny approached.

"My ladies," he said gentlemanly. "Welcome once again to Earth." He gave a slight bow. "Might I add that you two look lovely today."

Amy blushed softly and returned a shy curtsy and Bunny followed suit habituously. "It's nice to see you again, Zoicite," Amy said through her lashes, as if she could hide behind them. Bunny took in a breath, praying for endurance for the day. She felt that they were being a touch too formal, even for a first date.

Zoicite took Amy's hand and held it to his mouth as he said, "The pleasure is all mine," and kissed her gloved knuckles.

Bunny politely cleared her throat. "What exactly will we be doing today, if you don't mind my asking?"

Zoicite stood up straight and turned his attention to Bunny. "My apologies for not mentioning it sooner, Bunny. I thought it would be appropriate to show you two the palace gardens. There are some blossoms this time of year I'm sure you haven't seen in either of your kingdoms as they are unique to Earth's climate."

Bunny's spirit lifted a little. She loved gardens and also had heard of the exotic flowers Earth possessed.

"Yes, I've noticed it's quite warmer here than I had expected," Amy said thoughtfully.

Zoicite offered his arm to both Bunny and Amy and started guiding them in the direction of what Bunny presumed was the Earthen Palace.

"It's interesting you should notice as such, my fair maiden, as you are very right in your observations. It is a little known fact that Earth's axis is tilted to a degree providing that during winter months, not all places on Earth are cold."

"Is that so? How wonderfully fascinating," Amy said perfectly sincere. Amy really was interested in such boring things, but Bunny did notice it was far warmer than she had anticipated as well, and slightly frowned at her autumn coat.

They walked along a very large stone wall that had beautiful carvings of people all along. Zoicite told them that all of Earth wasn't always united as they were now and the walls along the palace told the story of how the late King and Queen of Earth of the past united many of the sects that were quarrelling. Zoicite said it took one hundred years for them to come to peace, and only succeeded when the roal families merged into one clan.

Although times of peace had been bestowed upon Earth since the Great Union, as they call it, Zoicite told them that it seems a slight bias still was present between the peoples of the Earth.

Amy listened very intently to Zoicite's every word, but Bunny found herself lost in her own thoughts every now and then as she observed the carvings along the palace grounds. They were carvings of soldiers, male and female. The women wore long robes and the men wore armor and held various weaponry.

Bunny learned of wars before in her tutorage. Women were blessed with power from crystals where as men with brute strength. It had been like that for centuries. Before the power of the crystals was discovered, men ruled over women and overpowered them. It is still like that in many common places, Bunny learned 2 weeks prior. Not every woman was blessed with such power, just as not every man with lean and strong muscles. However, among the royal families, all of the young princesses hold such power. Bunny's tutors always said that she'd be a very powerful protector someday, but Bunny couldn't see how that could be. Her mother's Silver Crystal was kept very safe in a place only Queen Serenity had access too. Bunny herself had only seen it in a few occasions.

They made their way to the palace grounds gate that was protected by some men in uniforms. One of those men had bright blonde hair and blue eyes. He appeared to be superior in rank from the other guard on duty. "Zoicite, my lord," he said with a slight bow.

"At ease, Jadeite," Zoicite said smiling, "I have come to show these kind ladies the royal gardens."

Jadeite looked at the pretty girls and flushed a little in his cheeks. His job seldom gave him opportunities to be in the presence of women. "As you will, General," he said stepping aside.

After they were through the gates, Amy said, "Oh my, you're a general?"

Zoicite suppressed a smile. "The King's very own. I'm second in command behind Kunzite of course. We report to Prince Endymion, however."

Bunny and Amy both gasped.

"To the very Prince?" asked Amy.

"Endymion's the _prince_?" shrieked Bunny at the same time.

Bunny had known the prince's name was Endymion, of course, but the last time she had seen him was when she was seven years old at a ball, and her parents made them 'play' together. Back then, Endymion's idea of playing was pulling on the young Princess Serenity's long pigtails. Somehow, after learning that the Endymion from 2 weekends prior was the same annoying boy from her past, she found that she wasn't all that surprised after all. It's a wonder, though, how Endymion didn't recognize her either. Sure, the name Endymion was the prince's name, but as fashion goes, after the queen names her prince, the townspeople also use such a name in their families to bring good fortune. Nevertheless, Bunny certainly learned something new.

The three of them made their way though all sorts of flowers of many different colors. Bunny had hardly seen so many different kinds in all her life. The Lunar Palace had exquisite gardens to be sure, but only housed a small variety of breeds. Zoicite had told them of the small corners of the planet that the flowers had come from, and in this conversation, Bunny paid close attention. There were so many places she didn't know about, and she made note to see them all.

There was a flower Amy took deep interest in along their wanderings. Amy started talking about the medicinal purpose of a particular plant, and as Zoicite made a very close step to be right beside Amy – almost touching – he started telling her about the place it was found on Earth and how the people in the region used it.

Naturally, this bored Bunny senseless. Also, it looked as if they needed a moment alone, anyway. Zoicite was a leading general for the Earthen king after all and seemed gentlemanly enough.

Sighing, Bunny played with the skirts of her dress as she hummed a soft tune to herself and ran her hand against the various flower petals, walking in a direction they hadn't gone yet. She thought often about the Lunar gardens and how well she knew them – every turn, every blossom, every secret. As she looked up into the sky and saw her home floating up there, so far away, her eyes caught sight of some flowers creating what looked like a veil.

Curious as ever, Bunny went to see what was beyond the flower veil. The petal vines were soft to the touch and their white – almost lavender – faces emitted a heavenly scent. She lightly went beyond them.

The vines held what seemed to be a forgotten courtyard as most of the plants were overgrown and not trimmed for many a week.

The walls of the small courtyard were completely covered in green vines and the ground wasn't as walkable as outside the flower veil as Bunny had to make sure not to step on any rogue flowers.

In the center of the courtyard was a statue of a woman – noble woman – who looked vaguely familiar to Bunny. The beautiful woman carved was in mid-dance it looked like, with a long flowing dress. As Bunny looked closer, she noticed the woman was wearing the Lunarian royal princess dress, the very style that she, herself, dons all the time in court. Bunny's breath caught when she realized that this was her grandmother as a teenager.

The statue stood in a long-time-unused fountain, completely forgotten.

Bunny was taken from her thoughts when a pretty girl ran from behind the statue, headed out towards the white-purple flower veil when her eyes met Bunny's, just for a split second. She was gone before Bunny could understand what had happened, but it appeared as though she was wearing servant clothing slightly ruffled. She had basic brown hair that had also seemed to be quite in array.

Being a princess, Bunny was quite used to having servants flee from her sight, though she was never cruel to them. Even more curious, she decided to explore where the girl had run from.

Behind the statue on the other side of the courtyard was a smaller, less noticeable archway framed by overgrown red roses. As Bunny reached to push one rogue rose aside, she gasped as her hand felt a prick. Quickly, she took her wounded hand in her mouth and tasted a drop of blood.

She was so entranced by her pain, as she wasn't accustomed to pain, that she didn't even see him. Though, if she had, she probably wouldn't have taken one more step into the secret garden's secret garden.

"So you've changed your mind, I presume?"

Bunny's eyes raised from her, now not bleeding anymore, hand to a man's strong back. He had soft black hair and seemed to be examining a rose not ten feet away from her.

"I-I'm sorry to intrude… I didn't know…" she stammered as she realized what the servant was running away from. The two servants were using this place as a rendezvous for… Bunny's face flushed even pinker.

Through her lashes, Bunny's eyes met the midnight blue eyes of none other than Prince Endymion himself. If her heart had been beating fast and nervously before, it would have been normal compared to how it was now.

Prince Endymion. The boy who tormented her a couple of times as a child. The man who stole her first kiss. The first man to make her feel like a woman. Her feelings had never been so frazzled about something before Prince Endymion.

He was wearing a white button up shirt that was to be worn under his royal blazer, which could have been found on a bush off to the side if Bunny cared to look. His pants were a tailored black to match his blazer, with golden embroidery. How could she have mistaken him for a servant? How could she have not noticed his royalty two weeks ago? His countenance reeked of confidence, refinement, and smugness.

If he was at all surprised to see Bunny in one of the most unknown places in the royal Earthen gardens, he certainly didn't show it on his face.

"My, I wasn't expecting you," he said advancing a step towards her. Bunny tried to regain her composure and failed when she saw that his top buttons on his shirt were unfastened revealing the same toned collarbones she had noted that fateful night, and thought about constantly since. She swallowed a lump in her throat.

"I didn't mean to intrude," she said again. "I was just wandering…" He took another step forward.

"One would wonder why a Lunarian commoner is doing 'wandering' in the Royal Earthen Gardens." Bunny took a step back from his advance, but found her pride regardless. She was surprised and naturally indignant at being looked down upon. It was one thing trying to fit in with commoners, and a completely different thing to be _treated _as one.

"Commoner indeed!" she huffed. She straightened her back, finally found the confidence of her _own_ and slowed her heart by a couple of beats. "I am no more commoner than you, Prince Endymion." She said his name like it was a type of poison. "Though, you are certainly acting like one, fraternizing with servants! Now if you shall excuse me." She turned on her heel and began to march herself out of the, now not-so-interesting secret, secret garden. She got as far as the courtyard with the Lunarian statue before Endymion caught her hand.

"What I want to know is what kind royalty is named Bunny, and decides to come to Earth for a good time?" He turned her around to face him. "… And also can do a remarkable impression of my mother," he added under his breath.

"It is well known that Earth holds life and culture and so many other things that the other planets do not possess. So if you knew anything about life elsewhere, you'd understand."

Endymion looked at her and then at the statue behind her and then to her again.

"Princess Serenity?" He found the decency to be surprised this time, it seemed.

"Now that you know who I am, I'm sure you'll apologize for your performance the last time we met." She released her hand from his a bit forcefully. "And today's," she added.

His confidence sank back into his demeanor as he recalled the previous happenings. His mouth curled into a smirk.

"Why would I want to apologize for something like that?" He ran his hand through his black hair, moving muscles in his arms and neck that made Bunny go crazy. "It was the best kiss I've had in a long time."

Bunny's face went red. "Well, it was my _first_ kiss, you arrogant… intolerable… ugh!" Endymion eyes laughed when she failed at insulting him.

"If I had known the Lunarian princess was this much fun, I would have stopped by up there sooner!" He had his full out smile on, showing his beautiful white teeth. Bunny's stomach flipped over.

"Why," he said touching her cheek, "I think I like you, Bunny." The same feelings were coming back from that one night at the strange ballroom. Those feelings that squeezed just below her stomach, and made her heart do things she wished it wouldn't.

Bunny turned around again to leave through the stupid flowered veil. "Try telling me that again when you haven't been with a different girl in the last twenty minutes."

Endymion didn't move to stop her this time, but only said, "She saved the Earth, you know." His voice was no longer laughing or smug, but rather sincere. The sudden change made Bunny look at this fascinating man once again. "How?" she heard herself ask.

"The Earth has always been a target because of all its resources. And with so many sects of people to unite as a planet, it's never been easy to protect. But the Moon and its people have fought for our people time and time again." Endymion sat on a wooden bench that faced the fountain and its princess, and Bunny found her feet moving towards him again. She took control and simply focused her attention on the statue's face. The statue had a look of determination carved into delicate features.

"There was a particular battle not many know about one hundred and fifty years ago in which Princess Selene," he paused to look at her, "your grandmother, alone protected the Earth from an evil force from outside our galaxy. I believe her name was Metalia. Princess Selene, and the power of the Silver Crystal, locked her in a far corner of the universe without enough energy to return ever again. She did this alone, and only the royal family of Earth knows of her deeds. She used to come to Earth in secret, after all, for the love of my grandfather."

Bunny found herself seated next to Endymion on the bench, entranced by his story. "Were they in love?" Her voice was small and curious.

"They were. There's a bond between the Earth and the Moon, my love, stronger than gravity." His hand brushed against hers from where they were placed on the bench, and her stomach did a flip. Her sky blue eyes were looking into his midnight ones. He leaned in just a little, as if to kiss her, and at this moment, Bunny wouldn't have said no. He closed his eyes, and sighed leaning back.

"They were, as you know, betrothed to others and thus had to live their life of duty… married to the throne." He looked at where their hands were, side-by-side, little fingers barely touching. "The same for you and me."

Bunny's recollection flashed to an image of the split second the servant girl's and her eyes met. Her temper flared. "You speak of marriage to a throne, and true love, and duty, and yet you sneak around with servant girls and kiss strangers in strange ballrooms. Do try to be credible." She stood up and looked at the statue again, and for a second, she saw herself in it.

"I do like this story of my grandmother, however. She died when I was very young and I didn't know her very well, though I've heard stories. So, I thank you for that much. I must really be on my way." Bunny straightened her skirts out, brushing off stray leaves that stuck to her coat and skirt. "Amy and Zoicite must be worried as to where I went off to."

He laughed at her, eyes full of the same amusement that haunted her thoughts since the first time she met him.

"You certainly are some girl! I've never been yelled at so much in my life, I almost feel sorry for my actions, but don't worry, Bunny, I'm a lot like you. I'm just trying to live _my_ life, and see what there is to see."

It was Bunny's turn to laugh. "Up servant girls' skirts, I presume?"

He laughed again. "One must have hobbies in something, my sweet! Now let's find where Zoicite is at." He took her hand and led her out through the veil and they spotted Zoicite with Amy almost immediately not thirty yards away.

"If we're lucky, we can sneak up behind them and startle them." His voice was playful.

"You are positively childish, Endymion."

"Coming from you? That's a laugh!"

The two of them, guided by Endymion, made their way in a large circle to come up behind the general and his Mercurian. They seemed to be in deep conversation and didn't even look to be thinking of Bunny's whereabouts in the slightest. Bunny giggled despite herself and Endymion's grin widened into a breathtaking smile. Bunny was actually having fun.

Just when Zoicite and Amy looked at each other in the eyes and began to make the distance between their faces disappear, Endymion popped out from behind the hedge they were behind, and clapped Zoicite on the back. "Zoicite, you ol' dog. What are you doing in this part of the gardens?"

Amy, completely red in the face, moved away and seemed to be very interested in the biology of a particular red flower, that matched her face.

Zoicite coughed, slightly pink himself. "Endymion, how wonderful to see you," though his tone didn't support the statement.

Bunny came out from behind the hedge and went to Amy.

"We-we didn't see you. We thought we were alone," she stammered embarrassedly.

"Please don't worry about it, my dear friend," Bunny said lightheartedly and then giggled a little. "It was sort of cute."

If Amy's face could have gotten any redder, Bunny would have been surprised.

"Well who's hungry?" Zoicite asked desperately wanting to get out of this awkward situation. It seemed both Amy and Zoicite both didn't handle embarrassing situations all that well.

However, as if on cue, Bunny's stomach growled and Endymion laughed as he looked at her.

"That's a good enough answer for me," said Zoicite taking Amy's hand. "Let's see what the kitchens have for us this afternoon." He started walking towards the large palace.

Following Zoicite's lead, Endymion tried to take Bunny's hand as well.

"Don't," she said pulling her hand away from his large, warm one, "even think about it."

Endymion, completely captivated by the charm of the Lunarian princess, laughed again. "You are something else, Princess Serenity. Something else."

Bunny's face flushed and heart sped up, completely betraying her, when he said her name like that.


	5. Chapter 5

Kaitlin R. Welliver

**Rose Kissed Diamond**

_Chapter Five_

They were all seated at the table in the main dining room eating a rather informal lunch when the King of Earth came in with a woman dressed in a long flowing purple dress, showing too much cleavage in Bunny's opinion, with long, flowing auburn hair. She had a tiara on her head, showing some form of upper class Bunny wasn't aware of. When Bunny and this woman made eye contact, the woman's eyes narrowed, and Bunny averted her gaze.

They all stood up as the King entered the room. Zoicite did a slight bow and the girls a curtsy, holding the position until the King told them otherwise – such was expected when meeting royalty. The prince simply stood there, as it was his father, and he was quite accustomed to seeing him.

King Endymion was a handsome man for his age. He was very fit, and held a countenance that was so powerful, even Bunny could feel it. His black hair was starting to grey, and his eyes looked very tired. He was wearing his usual formal attire with his sword adorned on his waist. He also was wearing the royal cape kings usually wear these days.

When he walked in he said, "Endymion, there you are. I want you to meet someone. Good afternoon, Zoicite." The woman beside the King looked at the young group of teenagers, sizing them up with her eyes.

Zoicite raised his head, "Good afternoon, my king. My lady." The woman nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"Princess Serenity and Princess Amy, I didn't hear word of your visiting," said the King rather sternly. Bunny's heart stopped. Zoicite looked at Amy and took a step back, and Prince Endymion smirked. Of course the King of Earth would be well aware of what the princesses look like, as it was a part of his job. If he couldn't name the princesses on sight, well, he would be very bad at politics.

"That's my fault," said Endymion to his father rather quickly. "They are here not on business. I am merely showing them the Earthen gardens. You are aware of the blossoms this time of year."

The King cleared his throat, "Quite right. Well," he walked completely into the room and towards them, "I'd like you to meet Queen Beryl, from the second quadrant of the Milky Way. She's known to have powers that perhaps will do your mother some good."

Queen Beryl very gracefully walked towards everyone, one foot perfectly in front of the other in jeweled shoes. Her dress was a deep, dark purple that hugged her body so tightly, you could see her toned stomach, and well shaped breasts perfectly. There was a slit up the side of her dress that exposed her long, sculpted leg when she moved.

Just as gracefully, Prince Endymion went to one knee and kissed Queen Beryl's hand. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my Queen." When he did this, Queen Beryl's golden eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed.

When she spoke, her voice was like sweet honey – soft and velvety. "Thank you for welcoming me to your beautiful planet," she replied. She turned her gaze to Princess Serenity and Princess Amy, who were still curtsied, looking them up and down, small frown on her face.

"Nice to meet you too… Princesses." The way she said princesses was as if she dipped her words in a vat of sarcasm. Bunny and Amy looked at each other and then at their clothing; not very princess-y.

"Please excuse our attire, we were not aware we would be meeting your grace today," Amy said with a small voice.

"It is wonderful to know you, however," added Bunny, hoping to ease the tension.

Beryl laughed rather arrogantly, "Yes, well, I'm sure it is. How many children do you have, King Endymion?"

The King looked at the two princesses and said, "They are not my children, my dear guest, they are from different kingdoms. Princess Serenity is of the Moon Kingdom, and Princess Amy is of Mercury, respectively."

Queen Beryl shifted her weight from her left leg to her right, and crossed her arms. "Is that the same Moon Kingdom that's manipulating the Earth Kingdom to give up all their trade rights within the Solar System?"

Bunny raised her eyebrows at Beryl's outright rudeness. She could feel a bubble of anger grow within her breast. Endymion looked really quickly from Bunny to Beryl, sensing the explosion about to happen.

Endymion cleared his throat rather loudly. "Please enjoy your stay in our kingdom, my dear Queen. Father, we were just about to—"

"Leave," Bunny finished for him. "I would hate to upset this," Bunny looked Beryl up and down with a look of distaste, making note to have her eyes linger on her cleavage and exposed leg, "_Queen_ any further." Bunny grabbed her autumn cloak off the chair beside her and marched herself out of the room.

Amy looked frantically from Zoicite to Endymion to Endymion's father and finally to Beryl. "If you'll please excuse me," she said, running after Bunny.

Endymion stood up straight looking at the King. "Father," he said, "I will see you at dinner. I hope to see you again too, Queen Beryl." He bowed and left the room gracefully after the two princesses. Queen Beryl nodded, eyes lingering on Endymion's backside.

Zoicite watched the prince walk out of the dining hall, and then looked back to King Endymion patiently.

"You are excused, Zoicite," the King said finally.

"I cannot _believe_ her!" fumed Bunny. "And right in front of my face!" She was pacing back and forth just outside the palace doors next to the gardens where they entered. The guards beside the doors looked to each other nervously. "And what grounds does she have to say such things about my kingdom, anyway?"

Amy tried to calm the Lunarian royal down. "Sere, we don't know where she's from. She might be misinformed…"

Bunny looked from Amy to Zoicite. "Is any of that true? I can't believe my kingdom would take all the trading rights away from Earth!"

Zoicite nervously looked anywhere but at Bunny. "Well, my princess, I'm not entirely aware of the politics at the moment." He had been acting weird ever since he found out that Amy and Bunny were princesses. Amy was quite saddened by it, because when she went to go stand by him, he took a step back, and started talking very formally with them, when before they were just beginning to become casual.

"Well, she's right to a degree, _Bunny_," said Prince Endymion, who was leaning against a pillar of the palace entrance. Bunny looked up to Endymion. "Explain," she commanded.

Endymion laughed at her aggressiveness. "Haven't you been to any of the council meetings? Don't you keep up to date with your kingdoms happenings?" Bunny blushed and looked at her feet. "Well, let me help inform you, Princess Serenity. The real reason that our kingdoms are not getting along great right now is because the Moon is so powerful economically that they feel it's their responsibility to control almost all of Earth's trade between the planets of the Solar System."

"My mother would never—" started Bunny.

"Your mother and my mother used to be good friends. My mother was always in command of trade. But then she got sick. She's no longer able to be in court, and she now delegates her voice to a new leader in trade; one without a strong relationship with the Moon's Queen. This new Chief of Trade doesn't seem to be doing things quite the way Queen Serenity would like, so she's convinced my father that for the time being, the Moon will control trans-planetary trade with the Earth and the moon." Endymion advanced towards Bunny, all of her earlier anger dissipated.

"What she fails to realize, however, is all the lost jobs the Earthen people have in result. Once well off families are now at the bottom of the food-chain. Not to mention the Moon gets 60% of tariffs, where as Earth used to get 100%. Perhaps, that is why Queen Beryl was so rude earlier."

Bunny opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. She searched for the right words. "I did not know of these happenings. I'm sorry for my behavior." Either for embarrassment or shock, no one could tell, Bunny walked quickly in the gardens away from her friends.

Not knowing what else to do, Amy let her go. As a life long friend of Bunny's, Amy knew that Bunny was better off alone right now. But, Endymion didn't know Bunny all that well, so he followed her. Zoicite, however, looked at Amy expectantly. Amy sighed, realizing the mess she was in. She turned to face him.

"Zoicite," she started. "I was wrong, I'm sorry." She looked at the ground and tucked a small, dark curl behind her ear. "We were getting along really well before, and now you don't trust me. I don't blame you for that, either."

Zoicite relaxed his character, and ran a hand through his hair, "You're a princess, Amy. I am sad that you didn't tell me, but I just don't know if I'm… If I can…"

Amy took a step towards Zoicite, and touched his face, looking into his eyes. Zoicite's eyebrows were tilted up, worriedly. Amy offered a small smile, and her breath was shaky and her voice was small. "Zoicite, I really enjoy spending time with you. All I need to know is if you feel the same way. Everything else will work itself out."

Zoicite smiled back at her, leaned in, and lightly kissed her on the lips. "I do. All I ask is for you to be honest with me from now on, alright?"

Amy let out a breath she was holding, and smiled with all of her heart. "That will not be a problem."

Bunny was walking so angrily through the Earthen gardens that she wasn't exactly sure where she was anymore. She didn't rightly care though, at that moment.

She was angry at Queen Beryl for being so rude, she was angry at Prince Endymion for being so harsh, but most of all, she was angry at herself for being so childish. She felt stupid for not knowing what was going on with her kingdom. She was, after all, 18 years old now. She felt the bracelet around her wrist and looked at it. The cute little bunny hopping over the crescent moon her mother gave her for her birthday last June.

Her mother was always busy with relations between all of the kingdoms. And it was true that between all of the kingdoms, the Moon was accepted to be the peace-keeper of them all. With the power of the Silver Crystal comes such a responsibility.

Bunny thought about what Endymion said about their moms being friends. When she thought about it, she did recall the Earthen queen visiting quite often when Bunny was a girl. It wasn't as if Bunny was left alone all the time, either. She had a good relationship with her mother. But perhaps, Bunny thought to herself, she was very sheltered.

Again, the image of Queen Beryl flashed through Bunny's mind. Finding a bench next to a fountain, Bunny picked up a small stone and threw it angrily into the water. Remembering the look Queen Beryl gave her as she looked up and down at her and Amy's attire, Bunny found a bigger rock and threw it into the water. Remembering the look Queen Beryl's face had after Prince Endymion kissed her hand, Bunny kicked the side of the fountain with all of her might, and cried out when her foot seared with pain.

"Stupid shoes." Bunny, with tears running down her face, violently tried to rip her shoes off, and failed, tripping on her dress.

"My dear lady," said a kind voice approaching her. "Whatever is the matter?"

Of course, someone had to see her like this – even more unprincess-like, crying and falling over. Bunny raised her eyes to meet none other than Diamond's. "Bunny! What are you doing here?"

Diamond was wearing a white blazer with adornments of achievement on the left breast. He knelt down next to her beside the fountain, and Bunny smelt some of his intoxicating cologne. "Oh, never matter why you are here. Here, let me help you up." Diamond offered his hand to the crying girl.

Bunny sniffled, "Thank you," and took his hand. He was warm to the touch, and helped her to her feet with ease. Bunny hadn't expected to see Diamond at all today, but was kind of happy she did. "I never got the opportunity to really thank you for helping me the other day," she said wiping a tear away.

Diamond smiled kindly at her. "Please, think nothing of it. Now let's see what damage you've done to your poor foot." He sat her down on the ledge of the fountain, and knelt down to examine her foot. He gracefully undid her shoe, and took it off. Bunny's big toe was bleeding from the impact of the cement fountain wall.

At the sight of her blood, Bunny's eyes teared up again. Noticing her quivering lip, Diamond quickly tried to take her mind off of her foot, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. "Tell me why you are in the Earthen Palace Gardens."

Bunny sniffed a little more. "My friend wanted me to accompany her on her date with Zoicite," she answered honestly. Diamond raised his eyes.

"Oh my. A third wheel on a date." Diamond wrapped the handkerchief around her foot and tied a knot.

Bunny laughed despite herself, "It wasn't as bad as it sounds. …Except we met Queen Beryl."

"I heard she was coming, I didn't know she had already arrived." Diamond sat beside Bunny on the ledge of the fountain. "She wasn't too charming, I'm guessing?"

"She's not too fond of the Moon, anyway." Bunny sighed and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She nervously looked over at Diamond who was smiling at her. "Do you come here often, then? To the gardens, I mean?"

Diamond leaned back on his hands, and looked up into the sky. "When I get a moment of freedom, I like to come out here and appreciate what the gardeners are capable of. These palace gardens are so vast, you can easily get lost in them, and that's exactly what I like to do." He looked back at her, smiling still. "And it just so happens that I run into you, again."

Bunny blushed and looked at her hands.

"Tell me," he said, "Do you find it ironic that I met you outside the Moon Palace's gardens and now I find you in the Earth Palace's gardens? Perhaps I should find myself around these gardens more often if it means running into you. "

Bunny bit her lip and looked up at Diamond through her eyelashes. "I suppose it is quite strange…"

"We could make it not that strange, if you wanted… Perhaps plan to run into each other on purpose next time…" It was Diamond's turn to look into his hands nervously, barely daring to look back to Bunny.

Endymion was so forward with his advances that it took Bunny a moment to realize that Diamond was asking her for a date. The realization hit her right in the stomach, and she found that her hands were slightly shaking. This was the first time anyone asked to court her before. "I-I'm not sure… I am pretty busy with things, so…"

"I can come to the Moon if that's more convenient for you," he said a little too quickly, looking into her eyes. His violet eyes were so sincere and unsure. He was older than her by a few years, and yet he was so nervous around her. It was endearing and Bunny felt herself melt.

"Maybe we could go ice-skating?" she asked. She looked back at her hands, "I really like ice-skating…"

Diamond's face burst into a full smile. "Really?" His eyebrows furrowed for a second. "I've never gone ice-skating before though…" Bunny thought about Diamond, tall with his long legs struggling to keep from falling on the ice. She smiled and found the idea really fun.

"Don't worry, I'll help you. It's the least I can do for all of your kindness." She raised her handkerchiefed foot.

"Bunny! There you are!" Prince Endymion ran up to the two of them. "Oh, hello Diamond."

Diamond stood and bowed slightly, "Good afternoon, my prince. I was just assisting Bunny here with her foot. Do you know Bunny?"

Endymion looked from Diamond to Bunny and to Bunny's bandaged foot. "Yes, I'm well acquainted, thank you. I believe you have some appointments to return to, Diamond?"

Diamond stood up straight and nodded, "You are correct. Bunny, I will contact you later about next Saturday." Then he winked at her and Bunny's face turned deep red.

Endymion wasn't in any form of the word stupid. He raised his eyebrows at Bunny after Diamond left the two of them alone.

"Diamond? You're going to see _Diamond_?" His voice was incredulous.

Bunny stood up, putting all of her weight on her non-abused foot. "Do you have a problem with that, my dear prince?"

Endymion folded his arms and grunted. "And here I am, trying to find you, to see if you were upset, and you're getting picked up by _Diamond_."

"What's wrong with Diamond?" she asked defensively.

"Well, only that he's one of the most pathetic members of the Earthen council!" Endymion laughed unattractively. "Believe me, I grew up with Diamond. I know how he is with women."

"Well, is he anything like you when it comes to women?" she asked.

Endymion guffawed, "Absolutely not."

Bunny smiled. "Then he's perfect for me!" With that, she started limping away. "Where's Amy, we have to go home."

"She's back near the palace," he answered rushing up to her side. "Let me help you. What did you do to your foot?"

"None of your business and I don't need your help, thank you very much." She pushed him aside, and continued walking, this time in the direction of the palace. The imbalance of one shoe on and one shoe off was making her walk rather wobbly.

"Let me help you," Endymion said again.

Bunny continued wobbling. "No," she said. And just then she stubbed her toe on a stray rock and she cried out in pain. Effortlessly, Endymion scooped her up into his arms, and carried her back to the palace much to her dismay.

"Put me down!" she commanded. He only laughed at her as she struggled until she finally gave up.

Holding onto Endymion's shoulders as he carried her through the pretty flowers, Bunny thought about her day with Endymion and Diamond. She stared at Endymion's neck and thought about what Endymion said in the gardens about her grandmother helping out the Earth so much, and then what the Moon was doing now and it just didn't make sense.

"Endymion?" she asked softly.

"Yes?" he replied into her ear, still carrying her. They were almost to the palace gates where Amy and Zoicite were waiting for them.

"Was what you said true? About my mother taking jobs away from the Earthen people, I mean."

Endymion sighed. "Well, she probably isn't aware of the consequences just yet, but yes, it's true."

"I'm sorry," Bunny said. "I don't want people of the Earth to be poor and starve."

"Me neither," Endymion said. "Me neither."

When Endymion and Bunny got to the palace gates, a carriage was waiting for them with Amy already inside. Bunny said goodbye to Zoicite and Endymion, and wobbled into the carriage to go home.


	6. Chapter 6

Kaitlin R. Welliver

**Rose Kissed Diamond**

_Chapter Six_

Bunny tapped her toes together from underneath her ice-skates. Today was the day that she was going to have her formal meeting with Diamond.

It was mid-November and the moon was very cold this time of year. The seasons on the moon didn't vary much with the temperature; there was winter and then there was spring followed by a short-lived summer followed by autumn and concluded with winter again. The cold weather is what resulted many of the Lunarians to be pale in complexion. Bunny was no exception.

It was 15 minutes before they were scheduled to meet when Bunny had finished tying her shoes on the bench next to the skating area of the Sea of Serenity. The Sea of Serenity was the biggest body of water found on the Moon's surface. Bunny had been told in her tutorage that it has been said that there were many underground lakes and streams on the moon, but that was mostly just empty rumors with no factual proof. The Sea of Serenity, however, was overlooked by the tall towers of the Moon Palace, the place of her birth and her home.

As Bunny waited on the small wooden bench next to the skating area, passer-byers smiled and nodded at her as they made eye contact. Bunny, again, was not dressed as a royal and had actually begun to become accustomed to be within the public of her people. She found that her people were fundamentally kind-hearted and selfless. She felt a kind of patriotism that she had never felt before as she walked among the common-folk as a commoner. It pleased her.

Today, her hair was up in a pony-tail tied in a pink ribbon. Her lips were a shade lighter in pink and her white teeth bit her lip nervously. She had a woolen grey dress on with white leggings that she had bought the last time she was out earlier in the week. She had found her dress maid and mentor, Luna's, purse sitting on her vanity and she couldn't help herself from taking a few coins. She was wearing, though, her royal ice-skates, that were white with beautiful golden embroidery stitched on them with the letter "S" across the side. She had on a pink sweater and a white scarf to keep her warm in the crisp November air.

She was analyzing her light pink gloves and their golden embroidery when she first heard him come. Looking up, she saw Diamond; his long legs standing awkwardly in his borrowed brown and tattered skates. His hair was messily in his eyes and he looked quite miserable in the foreign shoes. By the look of the state he was in, from Bunny's mouth escaped a gleeful giggle.

"Why Diamond," she exclaimed, "You really _have_ never skated before?"

"I fully expect you to keep your promise in teaching me how to move in these dreadful things, my dear Bunny," he replied. Bunny giggled some more and jumped up to help him move from where he was to the skating area. She placed her arm around his slender waist and guided him to the gates. Her heart sped up as she felt his fine-toned muscles underneath his shirt as she realized she had never really been this close to a grown man before. Diamond had his arms around her shoulders for support, but his hands slightly caressed where it lay on her shoulder. He smelt of musky cologne that when it hit her nose, she felt a little dizzy.

Finally reaching the gate of the skating area she guided him out onto the ice. His long legs, before graceful, looked wobbly and insecure. They shook with instability. Bunny was gracefully skating backwards, guiding him further. Diamond was looking at his feet, struggling to keep them underneath him.

"The first lesson to ice-skating is to relax," she started. "Ice-skating is a fluid motion that cannot be forced."

Diamond breathed out through his mouth. "Relax," he tried to coax himself. "Relax." Bunny was still skating backwards a little prompting him to move forward. Diamond, trying to relax, succeeded in ceasing the wobbliness in his legs and he glided a couple feet forward. Smiling at his success, he looked up to Bunny's face and laughed. "I'm doing it!" he exclaimed, pleased with himself.

Just then, he fell backwards not before wind milling his arms to keep his balance. Bunny's laugh was like a bell. She gracefully glided over to him to help him up, offering her hand. "Skating is a learned skill, my dear Diamond. You must remain focused."

"Easier said than done, when one's teacher appears to be an angel sent from heaven," he replied, violet eyes pouring into hers. He took her hand and clumsily found his way on his feet once again. She took her hand back and turned around blushing. She had never courted before, and although she's heard compliments before, she wasn't used to receiving them from grown men. Her heart was skipping happily.

"Have I upset you?" Diamond's voice was concerned. Bunny turned around again, smiling.

"No," she replied, biting her lip. "Let's try to go around the skating area one time." She took his hand and the two slowly found their way around the circle of the skating area.

Other people were among them, enjoying the graceful sport. There were couples and children and a few individuals here and there. It was a cold, bright November Saturday and everyone seemed happy. Smiling, Bunny looked up into the sky and saw the Earth smiling back at her. Today was going to be a good day, she could feel it.

"What? That was today?" Endymion was furious as he paced through his study back and forth. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Nephrite crossed his leg over the other from where he was sitting. "Endymion, I believe _you_ were the one to tell _me_ that the princess was meeting with Diamond today." Nephrite rolled his eyes.

Endymion stopped to give Nephrite a glare. "As one of my personal assistants, you are to remind me of things that are important," he said matter-of-factly.

Nephrite was flipping the pages of one of Endymion's books and then closed it abruptly. Looking up to where his prince was pacing, Nephrite rolled his blue eyes. "First, my prince, I am _not_ your personal assistant, I am third in command of your royal Generals sworn to protect you with my life. Not to mention that I grew up with you receiving every blessing of education and training that you have ever had. Second, what is so great about this princess anyhow? She is from the Moon, which implies her stance on the current political situation, and she's a _princess_. Princesses – now here me when I say this – are pampered, spoilt, and self-absorbed."

Nephrite was a tall man, taller than Zoicite, maybe even as tall as Endymion. He had long chestnut hair that waved gently down his back. His face held strong angles of Greek origin in his jaw and nose. Broad shoulders held strong arms and muscled chest. His uniformed sleeves were rolled up just below his elbows where he crossed his arms, waiting for Endymion's response.

Endymion grabbed his cloak aggressively from where it was hanging by side the door. "Serenity is… she's just…" he struggled for words. "Princess Serenity is different than most girls. She's strong yet weak. She's proud yet unsure. I'll be damned if I let _Diamond_-" Endymion opened the door aggressively.

"If you let Diamond…?" Nephrite continued for him, amused with eyebrows raised.

Endymion growled. "Are you coming or not?" and he slammed the door behind him. Nephrite chuckled to himself as he grabbed his cloak as well and followed suit.

Queen Beryl was in her quarters deep within the Earthen Palace.

"Where is he?" she asked the empty room. She had been trying to reach Diamond all day on his telecommunicator to no avail.

Her room was dark as she kept her curtains closed from the sun trying to peek in. She was a powerful woman, and she had an agenda to uphold. So far, everything was going according to schedule. King Endymion seemed to suspect nothing and soon her plan would start moving a little more quickly.

But where was that blasted man? Diamond was the key to making this plan a success. If only he would do as he was told! Not yet, she told herself. She didn't have a hold on him yet.

She sat down in her chair, pondering. Something. She needed something to get him to be hers.

"Blast!" she cursed standing up again. She went to where her telecommunicator sat on her vanity. She tried reaching Diamond again. When he didn't answer again, she threw her telecommunicator across the room with a roar. The telecommunicator fell on the floor on the other side of the curtains by her balcony.

Walking over to her balcony to retrieve her telecommunicator, she opened the curtains wide, allowing the sun to shine in. She squinted at the brightness and looked outside at her surroundings. She overlooked the palace gardens, full of color and life. Guards were walking the rows and rows of flowers, and gardeners were tending to their art. A few servant girls were laughing amongst themselves as they walked back towards the palace from wherever they were coming from.

This planet, Earth, was so much more beautiful than her planet. Her planet, she thought with a laugh. Her planet was dust orbiting her cold, red sun. Her planet was gone. This planet, however, was still here. It held resources that would satisfy any galaxy. Looking up to the sky, her eyes caught a glimpse of the moon.

She remembered the two girls she had met the week before.

She didn't expect that the Moon Princess had close ties to the Earthen Royal Family, however. That might prove to be burden in the future. Remembering the look on the young princess's face and the common clothes she adorned, Beryl brushed the thought of her aside. The young Princess Serenity would not spoil anything, for she was too young and immature to know what was happening even on the surface. Besides, Beryl thought, she'll be dead soon regardless.

Bringing her out of her reverie, she noticed the dark haired prince running towards the private docks used only for trans-planetary travel; the same docks she arrived in a fortnight earlier. The prince was being chased by one of his loyal generals with long brown hair.

Curiously, she wondered what those two were up to, and if they could be of use to her.

Diamond sighed happily as he unlaced his ice skates on the wooden bench beside Bunny. He had certainly proven that his skills did not lie within the realms of grace. It appeared though, that Bunny had indeed enjoyed herself with him. He decided then that a million days of embarrassment was worth being in her presence.

Diamond had known Queen Serenity for many years under the rule of the Earthen Queen Terrance. He used to accompany Queen Terrance every month to administer the rulings between the Lunarian and Earthen Queen. Ever since Queen Terrance had taken ill, however, Diamond had been left with the burden to continue trade relations with Queen Serenity. Although years of experience personally serving the queen taught Diamond many things, he still seemed to cripple the relationship between the two kingdoms. Many a night he lay awake thinking of different stratagems to approach the Moon Queen regarding the trade of precious metals and other resources. He just simply could not bring himself to allow the Lunarian Kingdom to holster that amount of substantial economic power. _Stop thinking about your duties,_ he told himself. _You didn't leave your telecommunicator behind just to think about your cursed duties!_

He looked over at the young girl next to him. She was the ripe age of 18; a young replica of her ageless mother, but with much innocence and beauty. When he was with her today, all of the weight of his duty seemed to be lifted off of his shoulders. He smiled at her as she looked up at him through her bangs hanging in front of her eyes as she unlaced her golden shoestrings.

Blushing, she asked, "Why are you looking at me so?"

"I'm breathless at your beauty and grace, my lady. My heart feels so light and carefree when I'm around you that I cannot help but smile." Diamond meant every word.

Bunny looked down at her hands, smiling. "You are so kind, Diamond," she said quietly. She slipped on her snow boots and stood up and smiled at him, her skates in her hand by the laces. "Come on, let's get some hot tea to warm us up!"

Smiling, Diamond got up to join her, his boots on as well.

Panting, the two young men reached the private docks of the Earthen Palace that held private arcs that could withstand trans-planetary travel. Walking amongst the different ships, Endymion searched for the best vehicle for their trip.

"Do you even know how to sail one of these?" asked Nephrite skeptically.

Endymion looked up from the knotted rope he was untying to a sleek black ship that looked to be the most expensive, luxurious ship the docks held. "Why of course not!" he said. "That's why I have you here!" Endymion winked at Nephrite and hopped onboard the ship as it floated in the waters.

Nephrite rolled his eyes at his prince and went to untie the other rope that anchored the ship.

They both heard and felt the clicking of high heeled shoes on the dock when they looked at who joined them.

"Queen Beryl," Nephrite said as he took a deep bow from where he was standing.

Endymion stood straight from where he was standing on the ship, it rocking back and forth. "My queen," he said with a slight bow.

"General," she said nodding at Nephrite. "Prince." She said the word 'prince' slowly, as if she were tasting the word on her tongue.

"What can we do to be of service to you?" Nephrite asked graciously, standing straight from his bow.

Queen Beryl stood before them in the same tight purple gown she usually wore, bestowing her breasts for anyone to see, with the long slit up her side, exposing her long pale legs. Her feet were wedged into 5 inch high heel shoes of dark pink. Her hands had long black gloves that reached past her elbows and up the length of her arms. Her dark red hair flowed wildly down her back.

Her apricot eyes adorned with much eyeliner and mascara searched them thoughtfully. "Where are you two gentlemen off to on this fine autumn day?" she asked through her pampered thin lips, her voice like thick honey.

"We aim to retrieve Diamond, my queen," Nephrite answered. Beryl's eyebrows raised. "He's spending the day on the Moon it seems, however we have need of his assistance."

"His assistance, indeed," Queen Beryl said calculating. "I say," she continued, "Would you two be willing to assist me in a favor?"

Nephrite bowed again, "Anything, my queen."

"Please give Diamond this message when you find him. Tell him that I also seek his assistance, and that he can meet me in my private quarters upon his return. Tell him that I have a gift waiting for him." As she finished her message, Beryl's smile was like a cat's.

Nephrite looked from Beryl to Endymion and then back to Beryl. "As you say, my queen."

"I will leave you now," she said turning away. "Please," she said over her shoulder. "Do be safe traveling between our two kingdoms; these are troubled times." With that she left their presence.

Getting on board and kicking off the dock, Nephrite started the engine needed for the travel to the orbiting Moon.

"Diamond getting a private invitation to Queen Beryl's quarters? With a gift?" Endymion recalled humorously, eyebrows raised.

"I'll be honest, Endy, I do not envy Diamond today," Nephrite finished for Endymion with a laugh. With that, they took off on their journey.


End file.
